Mortara. His troops were in extreme jeopardy where he stood. To open a passage, he resolved on throwing himself into Mortara, and making for the Novara road. He formed his men in column, put the guns in the middle, and moved upon Mortara, without apprising them that the enemy was there. The column entered the town by the gate of S. Giorgio, and found the streets encumbered with waggons and corpses: the gloom was dense, the houses all shut, the silence profound: the Austrians were taken by surprise, and gave the word "to arms." La Marmora sounded a charge, and debouched upon the square and the main street, where began an engagement or affray, a fearful chaos. For a moment the victory seemed doubtful; the daring and desperation of a handful of men, well nigh turned the tables; but Benedech justly reflected that they were a handful, and trying a desperate escape: so he mustered his men, closed every outlet, and summoned them to surrender. La Marmora wanted to resist, or, rather, to try a last effort; but his men gave way and laid down their arms, while the General, who was ever foremost, managed to escape with about fifty more, and repaired to Castel d'Agogna, where were Durando and the Duke of Savoy. The latter still desired, even at that hour, nine at night, to attack Mortara afresh. It was, perhaps, far sighted, certainly generous counsel; but the contrary opinion prevailed. In these actions on the 21st, the Piedmontese lost 500 in killed and wounded, with 2000

prisoners and five guns: the Austrians scarcely 400 in all.

Chrzanowski received the news of this unhappy event at one in the morning; and he instantly resolved to withdraw his army to Novara: a plan which he executed on the 22nd, without encountering any impediment. Radetzki too pointed towards Novara; Wratislaw's corps on the right had moved from Gambolò to Civalegna; Thurn's on the left had halted at Torre di Robbio beyond Agogna; D'Aspre had passed Vespolate, and his van was at Garbagna about five miles from Novara. Appel was a little in their rear; and the reserve was between Lavezzaro and Mortara. But the movements of the Austrians were so tardy, that they did not hinder the concentration of our force. On the 23rd, Radetzki extended his line, ordering D'Aspre and Appel, with the reserve, to advance upon Novara, Thurn to repair to Confienza, Wratislaw to set out for Vercelli by Robbio; and lastly the Brigades left at Pavia and Mezzanacorte to march to Casale. These Brigades, with the battalions remaining in Mortara, or scattered about, were 12,000 strong; so that the strength of the five corps, that moved upon Novara, was brought down to about 60,000 men with 186 guns.

Chrzanowski waited for the enemy by Bicocca, a village on an eminence to the south of Novara, about a mile and a quarter from the streams of Agogna and Terdoppio respectively. His order of battle was formed of three Divisions in two lines, and occupied a space of nearly two miles, from the canal of Olengo

near Terdoppio, to the Dossi canal near Agogna. Perrone's Division posted at Bicocca was on the left, Bes's in the centre, Durando's on the right; six battalions supported Perrone's left, and four Durando's right; three battalions of sharpshooters covered the entire front. The Divisions of the Dukes of Genoa and Savoy were in reserve; the first on the left behind Bicocca and near the country of S. Nazzaro ; the second on the right, close to Novara, between the Piazza d'Armi and the Vercelli road. On the left flank, beyond the main line, Solaroli's Brigade between the Trecate and Galliate roads, covered by the Terdoppio, was to keep watch, and to repel the enemy should they advance in that quarter. The entire force of 53,000 men, with 111 guns, was in battle array by nine in the morning. There were 20,000 men with 40 guns beyond the Po; while 7000 or 8000 we had already lost in action or by desertion.

Between ten and eleven, the enemy moved forward on the side of Olengo under D'Aspre, who, heedless of his dangers, gave the word for the attack. He distributed Archduke Albert's Division on the two sides of the road, opposite Bicocca and the Division of Perrone, extending it on the left with a portion of Schaaffgotsche's Division, of which he held the rest in reserve, and posting the cavalry in rear of the wings. But upon discovering that he had the whole Piedmontese army in front of him, he dispatched speedy intelligence of it to the Marshal, sent in haste for Appel, and informed Thurn that it was necessary for him to hasten to Novara: he then began the engage

ment with his guns and sharpshooters. The Brigade Savona, which was in our front line, gave way; but the Brigade Savoy was brought forward, recovered the ground with great ardour, and made a large number of prisoners in the houses scattered in front of Bicocca. But as D'Aspre hereupon brought forward his reserve, the Brigade Savoy itself retired, and at noon the Austrians again carried Bicocca. Then Chrzanowski ordered the Duke of Genoa to lead one of his Brigades into action, while the other was to follow at some distance. General Passalacqua, in command of the Brigade Piedmont, charged with vehemence, retook many positions about Bicocca, and made 300 prisoners; but while he was thus restoring the fortune of our arms, this gallant soldier fell, with three mortal gun-shot wounds in the breast. Still, the third regiment of the Brigade Piedmont pushed victoriously beyond Bicocca, and got as far as the height of Castellazzo, but there was overmatched and gave ground. The thirteenth regiment of the Brigade Pinerolo came briskly up, and reconquered the environs of Castellazzo. All this was on the right; on the left the Duke of Genoa vigorously pressed the enemy, made himself master of Castellazzo itself, marched double-quick on the village of Olengo, expelled the Austrians, threw them into confusion, and sent the sharpshooters in pursuit of them to a great distance. While this action was going on, Durando and Solaroli repulsed the attacks made on the centre and extremities of our line. By two o'clock D'Aspre was worsted at all points, driven back beyond Olengo

about two miles from Bicocca, and in peril of utter extermination. But Chrzanowski did not profit by this gleam of success; and instead of assuming the offensive with a preponderance of force, he recalled the Duke of Genoa behind Castellazzo. Then D'Aspre resumed the engagement, retook Castellazzo, and lost it anew, yet, as our foot fought but slackly, continued to contest the ground. Meanwhile General Perrone, who was setting an example of resolution and of daring to his own wavering troops, was mortally wounded in the head. At this time the Austrians were on the point of winning, when, at half past three, three Piedmontese regiments, hastening to the spot, once more drove them back beyond Bicocca. The battered troops of D'Aspre were now indeed reduced to extremities.

Radetzki, upon receiving D'Aspre's message at noon, ordered Appel to support him forthwith, and Thurn and Wratislaw to wheel to the right upon Novara; while he himself repaired to the field of battle. At four, Appel's troops came into action, but gained no very marked advantage, and the fortunes of the day were still in suspense. But about five, Thurn's vanguard reached the bridge over the Agogna, and his reserve got to Olengo. Then the Marshal ordered a desperate attack upon Bicocca with almost his entire force, throwing out towards the left a portion of his reserve, to hold the Piedmontese centre and right in check, and employing a few companies to keep Solaroli's Brigade on the alert. In this quarter, Bes and Durando repulsed the enemy; and Chrzanowski, who